There is one of Xu Xiake (pronounced Shoe She-ah-kur) in front of the Institute
of Karst Geology in Guilin, China. Xu lived from 1587-1641 CE during the
Ming Dynasty and studied caves and karst for more than 30 years in 1600’s.
This was the same time that the Plymouth and Jamestown Colonies were being
established in North America. Xu traveled more than 5,000 km, surveyed 300
caves by himself, and wrote 600,000 words accurately describing the karst of
China.
In 1637, Xu Xiake surveyed 88 caves at Guilin . He made very detailed
descriptions which included the direction of the cave entrance, configuration
and length of the cave, as well as solutional and depositional features within
the cave. In his description of Seven-Star Cave he stated that “there were
eight or nine caves with floor as flat as a playing ground which provided a
space for hundreds of people”.
I'd call Xu both a caver and a karst scientist.
DirtDoc
